The mystery of matcha powder

Matcha powder, originally and traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony, is finding its way into American beverages and gourmet dishes.

Included in lattes, shakes and smoothies, matcha provides a joyous amount of tea benefits. Considered the healthiest of teas, matcha is the only form in which the ground full tea leaf is consumed. Matcha can be used in cakes and pastries, chocolates, green tea ice cream and other sweets.

Traditionally, a tea master will measure the matcha with a chashaku (bamboo spoon) and place it into a chawan (serving bowl). Hot water is added, and the mixture is whisked with a chasen (bamboo whisk) until you see fine bubbles.

Matcha can be prepared at home using one heaping teaspoon placed in a ceramic bowl, adding enough hot, not boiling, water for one cup, and whisking until frothy. Pour the liquid into a mug and drink the “froth of liquid jade” quickly before the sediment has a chance to settle to the bottom.

Matcha is rich in vitamins — A, B complex, C, E and K — and is a natural source of dietary fiber. As in all Camellia sinensis teas, it also contains a high amount of antioxidants.

Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid found only in tea. It is known to counteract the “buzz” from caffeine by calming the central nervous system. L-theanine’s natural anti-stress action is anti-depressant and non-sedating. Regular consumption of matcha promotes creativity, a calm state of alertness and increased energy.

Matcha’s history dates back to the Chinese Song Dynasty (960-1279). Embraced by the Zen Buddhists, this powdered tea was brought to Japan by a Buddhist monk in 1191. Through time China lost the art of matcha, Japan continued to hone its unique growing, harvesting and processing skills creating this superior and pricey green tea powder.

The process of creating Matcha starts prior to harvest. Tea plants are covered to slow the growth, thereby turning the leaves a darker shade of green and enhancing the production of amino acids to create a sweeter tea.

After harvesting, if the leaves are rolled out before drying, the result will be gyokuro (jewel dew) tea. However, if the leaves are laid out flat to dry, they will crumble somewhat and become known as Tencha. Tencha can then be de-veined, de-stemmed and stone-ground to the fine, bright green, talc-like powder known as matcha.

The highest grades of matcha have more intense sweetness and deeper flavor than the standard or coarser grades of tea harvested later in the year.

A Japanese tea ceremony highlighting matcha is a very special event in Japanese culture. The host spends days going over every detail to make sure the ceremony will be perfect.

The tea ceremony recognizes that every human encounter is a singular occasion that will never recur again in exactly the same way, and so every aspect of the tea ceremony is savored.

The ceremony takes place in a special room for this ceremony.

In this ceremony, water represents yin. The fire in the hearth represents yang. A stoneware jar called the mizusashi holds fresh water and symbolizes purity. The green tea matcha is kept in a small ceramic container called a chaire that is covered in a fine silk pouch, the shifuku, and is set in front of the mizusashi. At its best, the tea ceremony is art as the host combines movement and melody to honor guests.